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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26545786">Step into the Light</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/missanonyma/pseuds/missanonyma'>missanonyma</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Lake Michigan, Minor Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Minor Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, one-sided jeronica</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:34:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,391</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26545786</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/missanonyma/pseuds/missanonyma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
      <p>my interpretation of jughead's pov during chapter 35 of lake michigan by @andsmile</p>
    </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/andsmile/gifts">andsmile</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/13638798">lake michigan</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/andsmile/pseuds/andsmile">andsmile</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>my interpretation of jughead's pov during chapter 35 of lake michigan by @andsmile</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t often Jughead found himself second guessing his feelings. </p>
<p>He’s always been able to read himself, and others, very clearly. He’s always known how he’s felt about anyone or anything, which is why he was taken aback by the sudden electricity in the air.</p>
<p>He supposes the feelings have been there all along, they can’t just come out of thin air. He’s always been the only straight guy in Chicago not in love with Veronica Lodge, he thought he knew that. It would make sense if the feelings had always been there, after all, she’s always been there too.</p>
<p>He met her because his dad worked for her dad, and she called him Torombolo, which apparently stuck because she still calls him that today.</p>
<p>She’s always been so snarky and mean towards him, so he was back. In fact the only reason he’s called Jughead was because that stupid prank she and Cheryl pulled, after he got a better grade than them, they put Nair in his shampoo which made all of his hair fall out. And apparently his bald head looks like a jug, so Veronica also coined the name Jughead.</p>
<p>He was so mad and it’s because of that he started wearing his beanie. She’s the complete opposite of Betty, Betty was always kind and sweet to him, which is why he always felt he liked Betty and he disliked Veronica.</p>
<p>But at the same time, he only realizes now that he can recall moments of admiration, respect, and maybe even envy. </p>
<p>Of course he’s aware she’s gorgeous, he’s not blind, but that was never one of the reason’s he found himself drawn towards her.</p>
<p>She’s smart, she’s always been smart. He can remember being in awe of her always knowing the answers to questions in class or her ability to create a rebuttal to some lame remark in the blink of an eye. He likes that about her, how witty she is. </p>
<p>He thinks that’s one of the reasons why he’s always been infatuated with her, or rather fascinated. She has so many layers, one minute he feels ready to swallow his pride and compliment her and the next he’s prepared to insult her deepest insecurities.</p>
<p>He doesn’t completely hate Veronica, he’s always known that. But now, now that she’s being actually nice to him; Wanting to help him with the situation regarding his father and Hiram Lodge, how she’s putting her time aside to figure this out with no real benefit to her, he’s starting to remember times staring at the back of Reggie Mantle’s head and wishing their places were swapped.</p>
<p>He remembers wishing he was buff, and more good looking so that maybe he could be on her level. He remembers feeling his heart sink whenever he saw her perched on Mantle’s lap in the student lounge, wearing his Letterman jacket, laughing at his stupid jokes. </p>
<p>And while he could dismiss this as something old, he can’t deny that feeling of sadness when his suspicions were confirmed by her that she and Archie were indeed a thing, a secret thing. That he was worth it enough for her to risk being with him, even in private, despite all the drama surrounding her, him, and them.</p>
<p>Honestly if he could, he would be with her, even in secret. What human being would refuse that?</p>
<p>It confuses him. He thought he liked Betty, damn it he thought he loved Betty. But when he’s with Veronica… He can’t describe it. He feels on edge, like anything could happen at any moment. He feels anxious, but like the good anxious where your palms are sweaty and you're happy to be where you are even though it scares you.</p>
<p>He feels guilty too, like he’s leading Betty on or something even though what he feels or thinks he feels for Veronica could never go anywhere for any list of reasons. </p>
<p>First and foremost he’s dating Betty, her best friend. He loves Betty, and Betty loves him, and they’ve been friends since forever. You can’t date your friend's ex, that’s against girl code or something. But he could also never do that to Betty, and he knows Veronica would never do that to her either, no matter what’s happened in the past.</p>
<p>Second, Veronica has Archie now, and Archie’s great. If she had to be with someone he’d want it to be with Archie because he knows she’ll be taken care of. Archie, the new guy who’s been in town all of five minutes but has managed to do the impossible (or maybe just Jughead’s own personal definition of impossible). He gave Veronica Lodge an ultimatum, and now she’s genuinely torn.</p>
<p>God, she invited him to get coffee as friends because that’s all they are and he actually took time with his appearance. He wore a brand new sweater, one he’s been saving for a special occasion and what could be more special than a coffee ‘date’ during Christmas break. He ditched his beanie for once too, for God’s sake, he even brushed his hair. He felt bad when his heart warmed that she noticed his change in demeanor, even if it was in the form of a sarcastic comment.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know what she’s going to do, all he knows is Archie broke up with her because he’s tired of the secrecy, and that she’s honestly considering letting him in all the way, telling him everything; Because being without Archie might just be too cruel to let herself go through, even for her. </p>
<p>Letting a boyfriend in completely is something she’s never done, and he knows it. Not even Reggie Mantle, who she dated for practically a million years, got to see all the way into her soul, got to know her deepest darkest secrets and fears.</p>
<p>Jughead knows that part of her though, he just doesn’t get to know anything other than the darkness. Their entire friendship has lived in a harrowing shadow of gangs and daddy issues. The only reason they found a common ground was because of how fucked up their families are.</p>
<p>Part of him wishes he got to know her the way Archie or Reggie have, to know what it feels like to be seen by her in a romantic way. To have feelings reciprocated and presence wanted. To have her feel as drawn to him as he is to her, magnetically like this was the universe’s plan. Like soulmates.</p>
<p>He wonders if the electricity in the air whenever she’s around would be as thrilling if their lips were touching.</p>
<p>Maybe in another world, one where he wasn’t with Betty or one where she wasn’t unknowingly in love with the nicest guy he’s ever met, he could have a chance at knowing the parts of her that lived in the light.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>just more LM crack, don't mind me.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He shuts the door behind them, making sure to lock both the deadbolt and chain, as he doesn’t need any more late night visitors.</p><p>It’s only stupid he got his hopes up again, only to be disappointed again, but the only thing he can blame for that is his own mind.</p><p>She was the only person he saw through the peephole when she knocked, and he stupidly thought something was maybe going to happen. Maybe she and Archie didn’t work out, or maybe she felt the electricity between them too. But any notions of hopefulness disintegrated when he opened the door to not only Veronica but also Archie Andrews.</p><p>He thinks back to how stupid he was, after meeting with her at the coffee shop, still thinking maybe she might not go to Archie though the smarter part of him disagreed. He was going to invite her to one of his favorite vintage book shops, but then he discovered she was in Paris for the remainder of winter break.</p><p>That’s okay, he had thought, we can make plans when she comes back. He saw that the movie theatre was doing an Audrey Hepburn double feature, knowing Veronica loves her work, he immediately bought two tickets for when she came home. He has images in the back of his mind of shoulders brushing, or her getting too cold in the theater and asking for his jacket.</p><p>Then he saw her newest instagram post.</p><p>It’s the first thing he sees when he unlocks his phone the morning of New Year’s Eve. ‘Lover boy’, she wrote as if it were some amazing thing. He shouldn’t be so nauseous as he was one of the only people who knew they were together already, but he is.</p><p>It’s pretty shitty of him ethically, he’s sitting here being heartbroken over his best friend while he’s been coming up with excuses to decline anytime his girlfriend asks him to hang out.</p><p>“Get it together, Jughead,” he mumbles, tearing up the movie tickets and throwing them in the wastebasket. It’s not like she would go with him even if she were single, he’s delusional if he thought she would.</p><p>But she’s not single, and if he’s being honest he’s never seen her so happy. She looks so genuinely content, wrapped up in Archie’s arms in a skating rink in some town in the middle of nowhere (according to the location tag). He doesn’t miss the hickeys on Archie’s neck, a detail only someone who had been staring at the images way too long would catch.</p><p>It makes him angry, mostly at himself for thinking there could be something there but also at Veronica for feeding those ignorant thoughts. He wants to hate Archie, the same way he hated Reggie, but honestly it’s difficult. The few interactions he’s had with Archie have all been good ones.</p><p>Even that one time they hung out just the two of them, Archie paid for his lunch, went to a comic shop with him, and offered to drive him home so he didn’t have to take the bus.</p><p>“It’s nice, isn’t it? Pretending there are people out there who can do good even in the darkest times,” Archie had said while paying for the posters he picked out at the comic shop. He knew Veronica would make fun of him for those posters, because that’s what she would do if she saw them in Jughead’s bedroom.</p><p>“Yeah…” </p><p>Only at the time he didn’t truly realize how much he would soon wish he was that for Veronica. Her superhero, her light in the dark, her beacon in the night. Truthfully he’s just an anchor to the darker parts of her life she’d rather ignore, but out of the goodness of her heart is desperately trying to help him break the surface along with her.</p><p>He ends up driving to Betty’s apartment that evening, her parents are gone at some holiday party which he takes advantage of. He loses his virginity to Betty, and it was good. Really. He loves Betty. He loves the way she smells and the noises she made. He’s happy that she is that girl for him. But he still wonders if it would’ve been jaw dropping and heart pumping, with someone else.</p><p>His question is answered, partially, months later. He doesn’t really know the details of it, because she doesn’t make much sense in this hysterical state. He knows Archie fucked up, big time, and that Veronica showed up at his door - alone this time.</p><p>“I need you to… Um, can… I-”</p><p>“Come inside, Veronica.”</p><p>She’s on his couch, crying into his chest in a matter of seconds. They don’t talk, he holds her while she trembles as each sob manages to escape her lips despite how hard he can tell she’s trying to keep them in.</p><p>She’s so warm, and he feels horrible for thinking about this when she’s so upset, but he wonders why she came to him? Why didn’t she go to Betty? Or Cheryl? Why him?</p><p>“Veronica?” he whispers eventually, his chin resting on the top of her head. His brows are furrowed, knowing he will regret his question when he hears the answer.</p><p>“Yeah?” she answers, lifting her head to face up, mascara smudged.</p><p>Have you ever been in love? The question is on the top of his tongue but he can’t find it in himself to ask, not when she’s so close. Not when she’s leaning in, not when their lips touch. </p><p>It lasts a few moments, her lips are so hard on his. This is what he’s been missing. </p><p>Her tongue nearly pries his lips apart and it’s enough to give Jughead that jaw dropping, heart pumping feeling; Just from a kiss. He feels electric, like all of this waiting and waiting was worth it. </p><p>But when she suddenly pulls away, it takes a millisecond to realize the feeling isn’t mutual. She looks even more broken, and with that kiss he knows she just confirmed what he’s known for months. </p><p>That the only person she wants to be kissing is Archie, that she loves Archie.</p><p>He has gotten to know Veronica very well, in fact he might say he understands her better than he understands himself. From late night chats while working on their investigation, her venting to him about the past and present, he was able to come to his own conclusions about her emotional loyalty.</p><p>She was in lust with Reggie, he didn’t give her any romance but that didn’t matter because it wasn’t what she desired from him.</p><p>With Jughead he thinks she found a sense of comfort, that’s why they’re such good friends. He provides her with a feeling of nostalgia and safety, she enjoys herself when she’s with him.</p><p>But with Archie, she feels both. And like any sane person, she doesn’t want anything less than both now that she has it.</p><p>At least Jughead got to kiss the love of his life at least once, even if he isn’t hers. They’re still soulmates somehow, even if it’s not how it could be. He would rather be her friend in the darkness, than go back to being her frenemy. </p><p>He is proud of her, though, knowing how difficult it was for her; She finally opened up to someone fully. And now those parts of her that aren’t haunted by shady agendas and ulterior motives, can step into the light and be loved the way he wishes he could have loved her.</p>
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